The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-06
CHICAGO AND CINCINNATI.

CHICAGO AND CINCINNATI.
The municipal elections in Chicago and !,
Cincinnati present some interesting phases,
with some points of resemblance and others
of contrast Involving many different ele
ments and large conflicting interests, they
both resulted in a Republican victory and,
what isemore important and significant, vic
tory for good government. 1t is generally
conceded that municipal government is the
weak place in our system, but results like
those in these two large cities give reassuring
proof that the people are equal to every
emergency.
In both cities the labor movement played a
conspicuous part, but under very different
circumstances, and with very different re-
suits In Chicago an organization was effect
ed and ticket nominated by the United La
Dor party. The name was misleading, for,
W lille the NOV ement embraced large number
of labor organizations it also embraced
the socialistic and all the anti
law-and-order elements in Chicago. An or
ganizaton Of honest workingmen, in or out of
at legitimate ends, will always command
considerable degree of public sympathy.
Strictly class movements in politics to be
deprecated. but aside from that an honest la
Dor movement is entitled to respect. But the
United Labor movement in Chicago was not
an honest labor movement. The shadow be-
fore and the power behind it were those of So
cialism. While it may have represented some
honest purposes and aspirations, it also, by the
force Of circumstances, represented every par
ticle of socialism and lawlessness in Chicago.
It had the hearty sympathy Of the condemned
Anarchists in their cells, and the active CO.
operation of all their friends and followers
outside. The alliance, if not open and an
nounced, was none the less apparent Thelogic
of circumstances was corroborated by the acts
and expressions of the Socialists so that every
man with three grains of sense knew that the
so-called United Labor movement was a So
cialist movement in disguise. What was the re-
sult9 The community was aroused and alarmed
good citizens and honest men of every pro-
fession and calling combined, and the United
Labor-Socialst ticket was overwhelmingly de-
feated. The result is not so much a straight
Republican victory as it is defeat of social
ism, though in doing this the people gave at
the same time magnificent vote of conf
dence to the Republican party. Fortunately,
the Republican ticket represented precisely the
elements and the principles that the people
wanted to indorse, and they did it by an over
| even in the largest and worst of our cities
honest men are in majority, and can hold
and exercise control if they will. 1t rests
with them to say whether they will throttle
the criminal classes or be throttled by them.
In Cincinnati the labor movement took a
very different phase. There was no alliance
with anarchism nor faint of socialism about
| it. There are Socialists in Cincinnati but this
was not their movement. It was genuine,
spontaneous labor movement, organized and
engineered by laboring men. Whether wise
ly conceived or not, or whether its success
would have Injured in any way to the advan-
| tage of laboring men is another question.
Doubtless they thought it would and the thor
oughness of their organization and work
showed they were deeply in earnest. The
| Cincinnati movement was conservative, Or
| derby and respectable. Therefore it COM
manded the respect and enlisted the sympathy
| of numbers of law-abiding citizens. The re-
suit was an astonishingly large vote, and very
nearly a victory. The difference between
Chicago and Cincinnati shows the different
attitude of the public towards an honest, gen.
uine labor movement, and one that either
allies itself or permits itself to be identified
with the enemies of law and order.
tits worthy of remark that in both Chicago
and Cincinnati the Democratic party cut a
very small figure. In Chicago they had no
organization and no ticket, all decent Demo-
Gratis voting the Republican ticket or not vot-
ing at all. In Cincinnati they placed ticket
in the field, but it fell several thousand votes
behind both the others They did not elect a
candidate on their city ticket and only three
councilmen out of twenty-five. The disnte-
grafton of the Democracy in both cities, and
the practical dissolution of the party, at least
for the present. conveys a lesson that politi
eians will do well TO heed II shows that mr.
party can achieve permanent success or main
tain its organization by fraud and by pander
ing to the worst elements of society.
LIQUOR IN THE ELECTIONS.
The prohibition amendment is defeated in
Michigan. The county of Wayne, in which
the citxaof Detroit is situated sends un a ma